Fruit-picker.



J. E. LLSTEADT.

FRUIT PICKER.

APPLIOATIQN :FILED my 7. 191s.

Emme@ man 10, 1914,

vuseful ,linin'oveinenl's in llrui handle members nier' be exten Loewe@ T all whom t 72mg/ concern s Be it known that EL doi-1N .E citizen of die Uniized SCM ee re Hastings, in tbe county of lidar oi' Nebraska, lieve invented ce reliefs., which the following is especifica lern This invention to iinproven'ienie in fruit pickers lfor gathering fruit from lelie branches of trees end without in'diuringg lli-Le fruit, and has for one of iizs objeclis to sier vplify endimprove the censirncii i and iucrease the eiicieney end utility @il delicer.: oi ,this characteri i Another objecl; of the invention te provide e simply constructed devicey'wirereb' j\r the fruit may be severed and garnered in u receiver and thence conducted into reeep tacle.

lith these and other objecrs in 'View lille invention le neists in'eernii-i novelV 'lf of eenstrnction es liereinefer eliownend described and then the claims, and; in 'the drzifvvinge illuetre' Te of thelpreferred embodiment. of the inventionu Figure 1 is r side elevation. partly in tio'n 'of the improved device, ie n plan View of the Same. [Fig z Verse section. on the Iline Without tlie'febrie conductor or lli-e ing member. Fig'. 4, ie zr perspective `rfifw fro-xn beneath of the Swinging deer el'- ille receiver.

Corresponding and like parte are .refer to in the following deeeripiien :ind inilienlzed in all Ithe views olf the drm/'inge by elle seine v reference cherecers.

The' improved de'fice comprises e receiver represented as e wl'iole et l() and lL of sheet metal end cylindrical i i outline and open et both ends, the cylinder being 'formed vit its upper end into e plurality el inregrel lingers or prongs il curved slightly inward and with en annuler ontwmdljyf directed rib 12 encircling the lower end, :in upper lnivndle member 13 is bolted or otherwise secured et l to the receiver )D end ie pdi 'erably-arranged :it fr slight ingle 'to l gi'tudinal plane of lie receiver. fr handle member l is errmiged nient longitudinally of lie ripper member 13s libe two bundle member coupled' by clip devices Tdi-lig se lb# quired ert'ent.

epecieellly peined out' in' eide., pre

'rendir above the receiver l0 and ie e rin ll) being forked es repreeeni'ed y lli lie inner' erinirml er il forked 'pertion elierpenee er lim e--edged re forni n. elem sevlie forked portieri of 'die iniziali uf seine..

llingedly connected it 2l Vwithin the receii'er l0 ie e.. door er 4bo'n'nn member 22 which lernie i, `2rigging closure to *die befr toni of lille receiver. fr spring 23 is conneced lo lie swinging member sind unites llie saine le ille receiver l0, und tliue supe r 22 rielfilnbl f i :e lenfgilndinl plaine ell-,lie recedcr.

dii ached Nizo the -swinging nien'iber nl ile i'ree edge is :L

eelclr 524i n :li projeeie beneath the rib l2 ci" lne mein ll and illus' forms e ,Stop to pferd nlevenient olf lli-e member cord Connected to die ex'onde through euileble gijuide1 uponille handle members lzfw'l, and

@1li-ence lo e, ini; ermveiiienl to the hand @if -ili-e pereler. lt will thus be obvious that by pulling upon 'Clie cord tbe closure epened nei 'die reeiennce of the Tend llien when llreoord ie releaeed elle @lili-iure will be returned viii-l1 iilre catch Q-l egzrinst-lilie lower rini of. the receiver l0. fr reeepizicle 2T ie connected over the rim l2 eli tliereceirer 1Q :ind bange suspended lflie receptacle is preferiti of canvas or like fabric, and provided wien, a. band 28 te enable it to be feelened :Le iis leerer end lo 'the handle ineiiibers l-i5, sind time prevent the receplaele fronir being thrown about when the derice is moved from. place lo place. The recep'lecle 27 ie provided willi mi. aperture .29 tlirflg'li irliieii. the pull eord passes.

ln ope ingr the device ilie handle inein ners 13-l e a e lidjner d lonpjlzudinfilly to adept lil ice re die sir/Ae oi the tree from Wliieli zlie irni. lo be gathereds theliandles being extended pre rably to a distance Sullieient rise enable elle d portion i0 of the arni 19 te reeel; die highest article ol'i fruit e free 'zo adept glie device to all of 'i'.e picked. The forked belenv lille receiver :is eliewn.

rnndle meinberl, is an nie7 lille upper ierminal Cei-'neiging willi lie abutting edges.

in its closed above tlie fruit which brings tlie fruit abovetlie receptacle 10. The implement is tlien drawn downwardly and pushed toward tlie fruit which causes the knife-edged'portion of the fork 20 to sever tlie stem and drop tlie fruit into the receiver. pull upon tlie cord 25 will tliendepress the member 22 and cause the fruit to roll into the receptacle 27. The releasing of the pull cord 25 Will permit the spring 23 to return the member 22 to its upper position for the next operation. "y ythis means as much fruit may be gathered as will ll the receptacle 27. When this is accomplished the implement is lowered 'to ahorizontal position and the p ull cord actuated to open the closure 22 and permit the fruit within the receptacle 2T to roll out into a receptacle vor other suitable receiver.

The improved device is simple' in cone struction, may be constructed of any suitable size and any suitable capacity and'of any suitable material. A

The member l0 is preferably of .sheet metal while the handle sections 13--15 are preferably of Wood, but other material may be employed if preferred.

r'llierecept-acle 27 may be bolted or otherwise secured to t-lie member 23, and if preferred, one of the bolts 14 by which the handle 13 is secured in position may be utilized for holding the member 2T in position for engagement with the member l0.

Having thus described the inventiomwlia't is claimed as new is: y

l.- A fruit picker comprising a receptacle of rigid material open at the ends and with an outwardly directed flange at thelower end, a receiver of fabric material bearing atits upper end around said flange and supported thereby, a closure swingingly coning the Hangs, and means for depressing said closure against the resistance of said spring.

:2. A. fruit picker comprising a receiver -of rigid material, a swinging closure for the lower end of said receiver, a'spring operating to yieldably maintain said closure in elevated position, a fabric receptacle depending from said receiver and closed at the lower end and into which said closure moves when de pressed, an. upper pole section connected to said receiver, a lower pole'sec-tion slidable relative to the upper pole sections, means for adjustably coupling said pole sections, and means for depressing said closure.

3. A. fruit picker comprising a receiver of rigid material, an arm connected to said receiver and curving over the vsame and withv a converging'l recess. in the curved portion, a swinging closure for tlie lower end of said receiver, a spring operating to yieldably maintain said closure in elevated position, la fabric receptacle depending from said receiver and closed at the lower end and into which said closure moves when depressed, means for depressing said closure, 'a support-ing device for said receiver, and means for actuating said closure against tbe resistance of said spring.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. ALLSTEADT. [1.. s]

Wlitnesses J. H. UERLING, NL M. Bemis. 

